An act of livestock theft has rocked the farming community near Omaruru in the Erongo region, after a calf was found crawling back to the kraal with a spear through its body.
The incident occurred at farm Klein Okombahe.
According to the Omaruru Farmers Association, the calf died shortly after the spear was removed.
Markus Trede, vice chairperson of the association, condemns the cruelty involved.
“It is dramatic how stock theft and poaching continue to increase and what brutal forms it takes,” he says.
Trede adds that criminals are not only causing considerable financial damage, but also seem to have no respect for animals at all.
He says the suffering inflicted on livestock is becoming more visible and severe, citing increasing use of snares, leghold traps, and even attacks by trained dogs.
Trede warns of socio-economic consequences if rural crime continues unchecked. “If nothing is done in the near future, in a few years there will be no more cattle and game farms and thousands of jobs will be lost.”
He urges stronger laws, harsher penalties, and deep reform in law enforcement.
“The government must reach out to the rural population and listen. We at the Omaruru Farmers Union are always ready to engage and I am sure others are too,” Trede says.
